I am attempting to write a Bogleheads mission statement and so I'm looking to fellow Bogleheads for feedback. I find that when our local group gathers there are lots of questions raised, mainly by newcomers, surrounding our purpose and mission. I appreciate your suggestions regarding the following draft.

The Bogleheads mission…support individuals to make intelligent, prudent and independent decisions as they plan, execute and manage their personal finances, investments and consumer issues.

The Bogleheads' mission is to promote a low-cost broadly-based index-fund approach to investing as described and implemented by John Bogle.

Bogleheads' goals include the following:- discussing a wide range of personal-finance issues- educating Bogleheads Forum members- educating the population at large using the Forum and the Wiki- responding to the changes in the financial landscape- helping members with their specific financial issues

Victoria

WINNER of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)

(But yeah, the requirements of a mission statement for IRS purposes and the requirements of a mission statement for actually focusing the efforts of people in an organization may be two different things entirely.)

You can find a good description on our Facebook page: Bogleheads.org - More Info | Facebook. This should be more than sufficient for your local group, the content has been reviewed and approved for posting on Facebook:

Bogleheads® Motto

The Bogleheads® motto is Investing Advice Inspired by Jack Bogle. We are part of his crusade "to give ordinary investors a fair shake."

Investing Principles

Bogleheads® follow a small number of simple investment principles that have been shown over time to produce risk-adjusted returns far greater than those achieved by the average investor. Their ideas come from the investing philosophy of Vanguard founder Jack Bogle. They have been further distilled and explained in thousands of posts on the Bogleheads® forum, particularly by original contributors Taylor Larimore and Mel Lindauer.

Thanks to all who have offered suggestions and references. Regarding Taylor’s notice of pending IRS clearance, I had no idea I was wading into a taxable ocean.

I believe the Bogleheads Forum was originally grounded in investing. More specifically, “invest in low-cost mutual index funds.” That grounding or purpose has not expired as evidence that nearly 75% of Bogleheads Forum topics focus on investing in the sub-topics INVESTING-Help with Personal Investments and INVESTING-Theory, News and General. Of the remaining 25%, the bulk of sub-topic discussion is PERSONAL FINANCE (Not Investing) which is about 14%. I cite the percentages to show that the forum includes other, what I consider important and significant, uses by Bogleheads. In order that the mission/purpose be more inclusive than “invest in low-cost mutual index funds” I offered up my mission statement for critiquing.

After reading the suggestions I feel a need to reframe my need. When I talk about money with friends, family and cohorts I usually refer them to Bogleheads.org with ease and expedience. And they often have a puzzled behind-the-lens-glare in their eyes. What are you trying to sell me or what cult do you want me to join? It’s then that I could really use a definitive, accurate and honest descriptive Bogleheads 30 second “elevator speech.”

And so, if there is anything unclear, untrue, unnecessary or illegal in my following revised elevator speech offering, please extend your offerings. Any and all comments are welcome.

Bogleheads Elevator Speech…Bogleheads support individuals to make intelligent, prudent and independent decisions about their money-investments, personal finances and consumer issues.

Phil - I like your first statement. Not to be augumentative, but to inject John Bogle into the mission statement as others have suggested is limiting in my humble opinion. Mr. Bogle certainly inspired the movment and is to be given much credit. I think others have added to that philosophy, refined it, and at times restated it more succinctly than Mr. Bogle. As an aggregator, Taylor Larimore should be given much credit. In short, this has become a "bigger tent" than that which Mr. Bogle originally proposed (consider international investing as an example of the broadening of his philosophy of diversification).

I like Lady Geek's contribution to this discussion, but it is too wordy to be a mission statement.

You could probably shorten yours a bit and not lose much: The Bogleheads mission…support individuals to make intelligent, prudent and independent decisions as they plan, execute and manage their personal finances.

a2z wrote:I feel a need to reframe my need. When I talk about money with friends, family and cohorts I usually refer them to Bogleheads.org with ease and expedience. And they often have a puzzled behind-the-lens-glare in their eyes. What are you trying to sell me or what cult do you want me to join? It’s then that I could really use a definitive, accurate and honest descriptive Bogleheads 30 second “elevator speech.”

Ah, well then I'd make sure to mention the "free" part.

Maybe something like: It's a free forum where people mostly help each other out with their investing decisions.

Short, to the point. Doesn't try to cover every little thing, but gives someone an idea about whether or not they should check it out.

Here's the latest revised and condensed version of my original Bogleheads mission/elevator speech. Thanks to all who have contributed, and a special note of thanks to Peter Foley for suggesting a close version of my "hopefully" final draft.

Bogleheads...support individuals to make intelligent, prudent and independent decisions as they manage their money.

a2z wrote:Here's the latest revised and condensed version of my original Bogleheads mission/elevator speech. Thanks to all who have contributed, and a special note of thanks to Peter Foley for suggesting a close version of my "hopefully" final draft.

Bogleheads...support individuals to make intelligent, prudent and independent decisions as they manage their money.

How about this...

"Bogleheads help people make intelligent, independent decisions about managing money."

IMO a mission statement should display two things: What we do. And what is our specific philosophy. That way when people read it they have a very good understanding out what we are all about. (our could quickly look it up without getting into financial terms).

Many of the suggestions sound like I would expect any financial group or even institution to say and thus mean less. I would say they all say they help make people intelligent, independent, prudent decisions.

So would something like this tell what 1)we do and 2) what our philosophy is based upon.(thus what makes us different from all the rest).

Minnesota Bogleheads help educate the community based on the investment philosophy of John Bogle. Done.

It tells what we do (educate) and what we believe. One could argue with the statement "the investment philosophy of John Bogle." but not without getting into words like "low cost, asset allocation etc). or not?

Efficient do-it-yourself investing, the final frontier: These are the adventures of the good ship Bogleprise. Its fifty-year mission: to explore the lowest possible fees, to seek out ever more diversified portfolios, and to give advice to the common man that has never been given before.

Here is my latest, brief Bogleheads elevator speech. It is indeed not intended to be the consumate Bogleheads.org mission statment nor is it intended to speak for Bogleheads around the planet. It is mainly for my use though fellow like-minded Bogleheads may use it at their peril.

Bogleheads…help people manage their money- intelligently, prudently and independently.